Sterling, Virginia-based high-end graphic printer ColorNet purchases EFI VUTEk QS2 Pro UV hybrid roll/flatbed inkjet printer to expand wide-format capabilities; press allows company to print direct to rigid media suitable for POP materials

Aimee Bellah

FREMONT, California , June 16, 2014 (press release) – EFI™ (Nasdaq: EFII), a world leader in customer-focused digital printing innovation, announced that ColorNet Printing & Graphics has expanded its wide-format graphics capabilities with the purchase of an EFI VUTEk® QS2 Pro UV hybrid roll/flatbed inkjet printer.

ColorNet, which serves the metropolitan Washington, D.C., market from its facility in Sterling, Va., and from its sister company, Rockville Printing and Graphics, in Rockville, Md., installed the six-color, two-meter wide printer in its Virginia location to meet demand for high-end, wide-format graphics.

The company had previously used roll-media aqueous inkjet printers for wide-format applications. The VUTEk QS2 Pro printer's flatbed-printing capabilities give ColorNet direct-to-substrate printing on rigid media, eliminating the time and expense of mounting graphics onto other materials.

When making its decision, ColorNet reviewed printers from EFI and three other leading manufacturers, and determined that the VUTEk QS2 Pro gave the company more flexibility to branch out into new applications. "Wide-format graphics is a growing segment for us," said Russell Ramey, ColorNet's senior director of sales and marketing. "The possibilities with UV are endless, and we made this purchase because we did not want to limit ourselves in terms of what we can produce."

ColorNet purchased its printer from graphic arts distributor XPEDX's local branch. The company also purchased an EFI Fiery® proServer to drive its new printer. In addition to its new printer and proServer, ColorNet also uses EFI's PrintSmith™ Vision business management software.

High-end graphics production with grayscale, white and multilayer printing
The VUTEk QS2 Pro offers point-of-purchase image quality with six-color process and white inks and single-pass, multilayer printing. Variable-drop grayscale imaging, high color accuracy and consistency all help ColorNet sell more color-critical and higher-premium products. The printer comes standard with roll-to-roll functionality and prints on rigid, sheet and flexible media up to 80 inches wide and up to two inches thick.

ColorNet's new Fiery proServer simplifies and streamlines production management, providing real-time statuses for print mode, carriage speed, consumable usage and other details. It also includes a parallel-processing production RIP and comprehensive color management tools, as well as default media profiles and other automated workflow features.

"In today's print industry, wide-format inkjet is often an essential part of building a stronger, more successful business," said Frank Mallozzi, senior vice president, worldwide sales and marketing, EFI. "Our complete offering - the VUTEk QS2 Pro printer, the Fiery proServer and service and support available from EFI and XPEDX - gives ColorNet Printing & Graphics the fuel to capture important new growth opportunities."

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